Into the Darkness
by Some1FoundMe
Summary: Thea and Laurel have been taken but they are only a distraction. Slade has made good on his promise to make Oliver's world fall apart. Olicity. Spoilers thru 2x09.
1. Oliver

**Title:** Into the Darkness

**Author:** Some1FoundMe

**Rating:** T

**Summary:** Slade has made good on his promise to bring Oliver's world crashing down. Thea and Laurel have been taken but they are only a distraction. Oliver is willing to sacrifice everything for the one person he will not let suffer because of him. Olicity. Spoilers thru 2x09.

**A/N:** This just sort of popped into my head. I've seen some stories on here where Oliver is forced to choose between Laurel and Felicity but that isn't where my mind wanted to take this...

**Into the Darkness**

He isn't sure how he missed it. He should've known better. He shouldn't have left her alone. But his mother had called him only hours earlier in a panic because Thea had been taken. She'd been taken and he had known the moment the words were out of his mother's mouth who had taken her. But things had only gotten worse because Lance had contacted Felicity not much later, begging her to contact the vigilante because Laurel, too, had been taken.

Oliver knew what that meant. Slade was luring him in. He was going to use his sister and Laurel against him. He would make him choose between them. It would be different this time. He wouldn't let either of them die. He was no longer alone. Diggle was with him. Felicity's voice was confident in his ear. And when Sarah had shown up ready to fight for her sister, he knew that she understood, too. Slade was punishing him for Shado's death. He blamed Oliver, and Sarah in a way, for letting her die. But he hadn't let her die. He couldn't have saved them both.

They approach the warehouse that Felicity has directed them to without speaking. Oliver's bow is pulled taut, an arrow ready to cut through the first target that it comes into contact with. His body is tense as they enter the darkened space but he is unprepared for what they find there. There are only a handful of guards who are easily taken out and Slade is noticeably absent. Thea and Laurel are both restrained in the center of the space, both unconscious but otherwise unharmed. Sarah goes to his sister and Oliver goes to his. It isn't until he hears the concern in Diggle's voice that he realizes something else is wrong. The other man is calling Felicity's name, repeating it more forcefully each time into the comm. She is not responding and the silence makes his blood run cold. He should've known. He shouldn't have left her alone.

He turns to Diggle, Thea slumped in his arms. His friend takes his sister and cocks his head toward the exit.

"Go, Oliver! Go!"

He doesn't hesitate. He moves as quickly and efficiently as he can as adrenaline races through him. He had brought her into his world, he had put her in danger, and he had vowed to protect her. The thought that he had failed her made his stomach turn.

He enters the foundry and nocks back an arrow. Slade is sitting in Felicity's chair. She is on the floor at his feet, her hands bound behind her back. The sight makes him draw in a sharp breath. There is blood on her face and her glasses are missing. When she sees him, an involuntary whimper leaves her lips. The disgusted smirk on Slade's face makes him feel as if a knife has been twisted in his gut.

There are no words spoken between them because Oliver cannot rein in his fury long enough to speak. The first arrow loosed from his bow is caught before it can hit its intended target but he continues his assault until the quiver at his back is empty. When all of the arrows are gone and Slade is on his feet, he throws his body into the attack. He is reminded of their time on Lien Yu, of the rigorous training that Slade forced on him to make sure that he could survive. He is one of the people responsible for making Oliver into a killer. He is the reason that he knows how to fight.

He loses track of Felicity. His main objective is to keep Slade as far away from her as possible. He will keep her safe. He will give her a chance to escape. Even if it means sacrificing himself because it's Felicity and her life is worth so much more than his.

When Slade's hand is wrapped around his throat and hauling him off of his feet, Oliver knows that pain is going to riddle his body. He braces for it, for the impact that is bound to come, but the agonizing pain that tears through him is more than he can bear. White light bursts in front of his eyes and warmth is suddenly seeping into his clothes. He is vaguely aware that Felicity is screaming his name but he cannot move. He cannot breathe.

He is waiting for Slade to kill him but all that he can think of is her. He can see her face clearly in his mind. He can imagine the terrified expression that mars her beauty. He is suddenly filled with regret. He has worked so hard to distance himself from her and he regrets that he'd made that decision for her. He can only pray that she knows what she means to him. He wishes more than anything that he'd been strong enough to tell her that he loves her because it's true. He loves her and he has never had the courage to tell her.

He hears her again, hears the tremor in her voice as she calls out to him. And then her small, cold hands are on his face and he's opening his eyes. He can hardly focus on the woman in front of him as his world swims. He thinks that he must be in shock because he doesn't feel pain. He doesn't feel the three arrows that have pierced his chest and abdomen.

"Felicity…" his voice is soft, broken, and he sees tears in her eyes.

"It's okay, Oliver, you're going to be okay," she assures him, "John!"

He wants to tell her that he loves her. He wants to tell her that he's sorry for endangering her. But he doesn't have a chance to say either of those things because as she calls his name one last time, the world around him goes black.


	2. Felicity

**Title:** Into the Darkness

**Author:** Some1FoundMe

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of "Arrow".

**A/N:** My apologies if the first chapter of this wasn't what everyone was expecting. I have an idea of where I'd like this to go and I'm working on getting it there so please be patient

**Into the Darkness**

She will never get the image out of her head. She will have nightmares for as long as she lives. To watch Slade lift Oliver as if he were no more than a small child, to watch as he lifted him and then impaled him on his own arrows, she will never fully be able to explain the terror that she felt in that moment. The rack of arrows had almost been the death of him. The weapons that he wielded while defending Starling City could have easily taken him from her. She knows that if she hadn't acted as she had, if she hadn't injected Slade with the anti-serum that she'd spent weeks formulating, he would've taken Oliver's life. She would've had to watch him die.

She squeezes his lifeless had where it rests on the bed beside his damaged body. He will have new scars now, scars that she knows the origin of, scars that he will somehow have to explain to his mother and sister. She knows without seeing them exactly where each of these new marks will be. One arrow had pierced the lower right quadrant of his abdomen, not too far from his hip bone. The second had cut through more muscle mass, leaving a hole on the left side of his rib cage. The doctor had said that that one had nicked the bone. The third arrow – the third arrow had come through his shoulder within inches of his heart. The third one had nearly killed him.

Slade's attack had been three days earlier and Oliver had yet to regain consciousness. She hadn't gone home. She had taken up residence in his hospital room because the thought of leaving him for even a couple of hours was more painful than she could bear. John had tried in vain to convince her to go home and rest, to shower and change, but she had refused. He had eventually given up and supplied her with a change of clothes. He had fussed over her, insisting that Oliver would want her to take care of herself, and only then had she allowed someone to look her over.

The injury on her head had been mostly superficial but it had required stitches and it had left her with a nasty bruise. What John can't know, and what she will never tell Oliver, is that the most serious injuries that she had sustained at the hands of Slade Wilson were not physical. She tries desperately not to think of the things he said to her, the things that he told her about Oliver. She tries to block his voice from entering her mind but it is not easy.

She knows that Oliver is a good man. She knows this because she knows him. The man whose hand she is holding has saved her life in more ways than one. He has given her a reason to be happy. He has given her something to look forward to. And while a part of her holds a sense of false hope in regards to where they stand, she is his friend and he is hers. For her that is enough. It has to be.

"Felicity?"

She starts at the sound of his voice, her eyes flying to his. She has waited days to see those blue eyes again. There are a million thoughts on the tip of her tongue ready to come tumbling from her lips but she says nothing. She doesn't know where to begin.

"Are you okay?" he mumbles, his voice garbled by the painkillers that the doctors are pumping into him.

She forces herself to smile and nod. She is numb. She should be elated. She should be touching his face and his chest, reminding herself that he is really still with her. But she cannot move. She wonders briefly if this is what shock feels like. She doesn't know how to process the myriad emotions rushing through her. The tightness in her chest is overwhelming and she lifts her hand to rub at the ache.

"Felicity, look at me," he orders gruffly, "Are you okay?"

She takes a breath, gathering her errant thoughts, before she speaks to him.

"You almost died. Again. Oliver, I – I was there. I saw it. He could've killed you. He wanted to kill you. And if you had died… if you had died I –"

"I'm here, Felicity. I'm okay."

Tears don't come as she expects them to. Instead she is angry. Angry at him, at Slade. She is angry that Oliver almost died trying to save her. She is angry that Slade hurt her. She is angry at herself for allowing Slade to get into her head.

"But you almost died! You almost died, Oliver! Three arrows, three, and one of them came this close to your heart! Do you know what that would've done to me? I thought that you were gone! I thought that I would never - that I'd never get to tell you…"

Suddenly it is heart stopping fear that is rushing through her. She is afraid of what the future holds. She loves him. She loves him and she has never told him. But she isn't good at hiding her feelings so she is almost certain that he knows. If he doesn't, if he hasn't figured it out by now, then he isn't as smart as she believes he is.

"Felicity."

She bites her tongue. He says her name in that tone that she has come to love, that tone that she knows he reserves specifically for her. When she meets his eyes again, there is an emotion there that she has never seen before. He squeezes her fingers.

"I know," he tells her, "We don't have to talk about this now but we will talk about it. I'm okay. I'm here. And I know."


	3. Diggle

**Title:** Into the Darkness

**Author:** Some1FoundMe

**Summary: **

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of "Arrow".

**A/N:** Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed! The feedback is greatly appreciated!

**Into the Darkness**

The day that Oliver is released from the hospital is the second day that Felicity is not there. She had asked him to take her home the day that their friend had regained consciousness. He'd taken one look at her tearstained face and bloodshot eyes before pulling her into the circle of his arms. After two years with them, Oliver and Felicity were like family. She was the brilliant if somewhat neurotic little sister and Oliver – Oliver reminded him more of his own brother than he was comfortable with. But it was their relationship, the tension between the two of them that was beginning to bother him.

John considered himself to be a fairly observant person and the tension between Oliver and Felicity was hard to miss. He knew that Oliver tried to ignore it, to ignore the obvious attraction between them and, in a way, he understood. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to keep her safe. But time and again Felicity had been put in danger because of the double life that they all led. Try as he might to keep her out of harm's way, just being seen with him made her a target.

So why Oliver insisted on making them both miserable, he didn't know. It was evident in every lingering look or intimate touch that they shared that he cared for her as much more than just a friend. And the way that Felicity tended to babble made it damn near impossible for her to keep her feelings hidden from either of them. He had thought that the arrival of Barry Allen had changed something. For a minute he'd believed that Felicity was giving up on Oliver, that she was really going to move on. But when Oliver had been poisoned, when he'd seen the fear in her eyes as they'd raced to save him, he knew that she wasn't there yet. She wasn't ready to give up on loving him.

Shaking his head, he pushes Oliver's wheelchair out of the hospital. He'd had to convince the bull headed vigilante that walking after the injuries that he'd sustained wasn't a good idea and in the end he'd had to threaten to shoot him in the foot just to get him in the chair.

Oliver is sullen as he settles into the backseat of the car waiting at the curb. He hasn't said anything about Felicity's absence but John knows that that is what's bothering him. When they are finally on the road, he can't take the brooding silence any longer.

"Do you want to go to the office to see her?" he asks, watching Oliver in the rearview mirror.

He doesn't react, continuing to stare out of his window. John sighs.

"Oliver, I don't want to tell you how to deal with this –"

"Then don't."

"- but I care about Felicity, too. Whatever it is you think that you're doing, it's not working. That girl is in love with you. I get that you want to protect her. I know that's why you promoted her into a position that she's overqualified for but man, why are you torturing yourself? Why are you torturing her?"

A sigh rumbled at him from the backseat and Oliver scowled at his reflection in the mirror.

"It's complicated."

He rolled his eyes, "All relationships are, Oliver."

Oliver says nothing as he averts his gaze. He won't push the topic anymore because he knows it's pointless. The man can keep his mouth shut better than anyone else that he knows. If he doesn't want to talk, he won't. So he is surprised when Oliver speaks from behind him again.

"I'm not good for her."

For a minute, he lets the words hang between them. He has known for a long time that Oliver has a low opinion of himself. He cannot see the good that he has done for the people of Starling City. He can't see the positive way that he has affected Felicity's life and his. He still believes that he is some kind of monster.

"I don't think that she sees it that way," he says eventually, "Felicity knows more about you than anyone, probably even me, and I think that that scares you. She isn't running and you don't know what to do. Everyone else runs."

Oliver sighs, "I should never have let her stay after we found Walter. I should've left her alone."

"She wouldn't have let you. Even before she knew that you were the vigilante she wanted to be with you. And she's brilliant, Oliver. You should trust that she's smart enough to make her own decisions."

He shakes his head, uncertainty evident in his expression.

"Maybe you should talk to her. See what she has to say. "

Oliver hesitates, "I – I already know what she's going to say. But I can't risk losing her. I won't put her in danger if I can avoid it."

He almost tells him that she already is in danger but he doesn't. Oliver knows that Felicity's life is at risk every time she's in his company because _he _is always in danger. What he doesn't say is that he thinks that there is no point in protecting her if neither of them is happy. He doesn't say that, if Oliver doesn't do something about his feelings for her, he's only going to drive her away.

"You underestimate her. She's stronger than you think. Braver, too. "

Oliver closes his eyes and rests his head on the back of the seat. It seems that he is finished talking now so John focuses on the road ahead. He can only hope that Felicity is strong enough to stay with him. He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said that she was strong but there was only so much that one person could take. He hopes that Oliver will come to his senses before it really is too late. Felicity is beautiful and funny and kind and if he doesn't get his head out of his ass, someone else will come along and take her away before he even realizes that it's happening.


	4. Oliver pt 2

He still hasn't seen her. She hasn't come to him and he hasn't gone to her. They are at a standstill and it is driving him insane. He wants to talk to her. He needs to see her, to make sure that she's safe, but he cannot bring himself to go to her. Diggle has been updating him every few days of her movements, letting him know that she has gotten back into her daily routine. She spends the day at the office as his assistant before heading to the foundry for a few hours each night. She is still doing her second job, too, as the vigilante's personal IT guru, running searches and doing all that she can to find Slade.

That last part worries him. He doesn't want her or Digg anywhere near Slade. They have no idea what her anti-serum actually did to him. They couldn't be sure that it actually worked. Either way, he wants her as far from his former friend as possible. He doesn't doubt that, given the chance, Slade would kill her. He would kill her to hurt Oliver, yes, but he was sure to be pissed that she'd thwarted his attempt to kill him, too.

"Oliver?" he lifts his head from the book in his hands to find his sister watching him from the doorway.

He hasn't left his room since the day that Digg had brought him home. He has avoided his mother and Thea's insistent questions, not wanting to lie to them any more than necessary. But when she looks at him in that worried and wounded way, he cannot turn her away. Sitting up straighter on the couch, he pats the seat beside him.

Thea doesn't need any more encouragement as she crosses the room to sit at his side. She rests her head on his shoulder.

"Will you ever tell me what really happened?" she asks him, "Because I know that you're lying. I was kidnapped, Ollie, drugged and stuffed into a trunk. I may not remember everything that happened, but there are a few things that I do know. Like the guys who took me and Laurel? Someone was giving them orders. One of which was not to kill either of us. We were just the bait. The thing is, I couldn't figure out who they were trying to catch because the only person Laurel and I have in common is you. And then you end up in the hospital with arrows in you and I – I can't help thinking that maybe the vigilante had something to do with all of this."

He shakes his head, "It wasn't the vigilante, Speedy. But you're right. You were taken because of me. The thing is I … I don't know who took you. Diggle is still working to figure that part out."

He hates lying to her but she can never know the truth. She cannot know that he wasn't alone on Lien Yu. She cannot know that he is the vigilante. He will not put her in danger. He has already endangered one person that he cares about, he won't involve anyone else.

Thea sighs but drops her line of questioning. He is well aware that her silence won't last long, though, because she is his sister and she's always been too damn noisy for her own good.

"Ollie?"

"Hmm?"

"Is something going on between you and Felicity?"

Her question catches him off guard and he glances down at the top of her head where it is pillowed on his shoulder.

"No. Why would you think that?" he asks.

She lifts her head and turns to him, her brows raised. He can hear her sarcastic "really?" even though she doesn't speak the word.

"She practically rooted herself to that chair in your hospital room. Every time any of us came to see you, me and Roy, Mom, even Laurel, she refused to leave. She never really said anything either, just sat there silently holding your hand. We came to see you the second day that you were there, me and Mom, and she was obviously crying. I tried to talk to her but she just shook her head. I know you're not blind, Ollie. It's pretty obvious that she's in love with you."

He resists the urge to roll his eyes. He really wished everyone would stop telling him that. He knew how Felicity felt. He knew that she loved him. She had almost admitted it to him. And he knew that he felt the same for her but he couldn't make himself tell her as much. He couldn't let himself be that selfish. He knew that being with Felicity would make him happy. He was a different person just being her friend. Being her … boyfriend, lover, something he couldn't find the right word for… would only make things better. But every time he thought of waking up beside her, another thought worked its way to the front of his mind. He would be risking her safety, risking her life, just by taking his place at her side. The problem was, that was where he felt like he belonged, beside her. Not just as her friend but as her partner, as the person who she shared her life with. Felicity had worked her way into not just his life, but his heart and his head. There wasn't a moment that went by that he wasn't thinking of her.

"Felicity and I…" he sighs, "It's complicated, Thea."

His little sister actually rolls her eyes at him, scoffing.

"And you think everyone else's relationships aren't complicated? I mean, really, look at me and Roy? I'm dating the guy who stole my purse, Ollie! He's moody and can be pretty damn stubborn when he wants to be and he's obsessed with finding the vigilante but it doesn't matter. I – I love him anyway," she pokes him in the chest, "Besides, you've never had a relationship in your life that wasn't complicated. Even before the island. I mean, look, you dated Laurel and cheated on her with Sarah. Sarah died when the Gambit went down. You come home and Laurel is dating your best friend. You dated that cop, what was her name? McKenna, right? But she knew you before so that probably put a strain on things. And then there's Felicity. She only knows you, this Oliver, and she seems to really like him."

It isn't that he hasn't thought this through a million times. He knows what the differences are. And she's right, Felicity only knows him. She knows the real Oliver. She knows that he is not the 'playboy' that people label him as. She knows that he is scarred and damaged but she hasn't left him yet. Digg was right. She hasn't run. And in a way, that does scare him. He is used to people leaving him. He is not used to them staying. But Felicity is as stubborn as he is and he knows that she will not give up on him.

"I don't want to hurt her," he breathes, running a hand over the four days' worth of scruff on his chin.

Thea rolls her eyes again, "Then don't. Felicity is a grown woman, Oliver, she doesn't need you to protect her from everything. And to be honest, I think the fact that you're staying away from her is probably hurting her more than anything right now. You should go and talk to her."

He hesitates again, the way he does every time he convinces himself that they really do need to talk. He knows that Thea is right. He also knows that he told Felicity that they would talk about what was going on between them so he at least owes her an explanation.

"I really hate to admit this, but you're right. I do need to talk to her."

Thea grins triumphantly.

"I better get a special thank you at the wedding," she teases, standing and heading for his door.

It's his turn to roll his eyes. She's getting ahead of herself, as usual, but he doesn't bother to comment. If they somehow make it that far, he'll definitely make sure to thank Thea and Diggle both for making him realize that Felicity was worth it. She will always be worth it.


	5. Felicity pt 2

**Title:** Into the Darkness

**Author:** Some1FoundMe

**Summary: **Thea and Laurel have been taken but they are only a distraction. Slade has made good on his promise to make Oliver's world fall apart. Olicity. Spoilers thru 2x09.

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of "Arrow".

**A/N:** The comments for this story have been so great and I really appreciate all of the support! I'm thinking I'm going to add one more chapter to this (hopefully) and I've already got a new chapter of Their Soundtrack in the works! Also, this chapter sort of ran away from me so…

**Felicity**

To say that she's surprised when he shows up at her apartment late on a Wednesday evening would be an understatement. She'd only just gotten home after spending two hours at the foundry going over the results of a search she had been running. She hasn't even taken her shoes off when he knocks.

"Oliver," she says, unable to hide her shock, "What are you doing here?"

He shrugs and then winces and she knows that the action pulled at the stitches in his shoulder. She holds her door open for him and steps back, allowing him to enter. Once the door is closed, they both stand awkwardly in the entryway for a minute.

"I'm sorry I haven't come by to see you," she blurts out, "It's just that I went back to work and I've been so busy trying to fend off questions about why you aren't in the office and when you're coming back. Not to mention that I'm still running searches to see if I can find Slade or anyone related to him. I know that it isn't an excuse, I mean, I could've called or –"

"Felicity."

She bites down on her tongue to stop the word vomit that persists on spewing from her lips. She doesn't know what it is about him exactly that makes her brain to mouth filter stop working but it really only happens when he's around. She rolls her eyes at herself.

"Sorry, rambling," she mumbles.

"Please stop apologizing. I – You haven't done anything wrong. You weren't obligated to check up on me. Besides, I could've just as easily picked up the phone to call you, too, you know. But I … I didn't know what to say. I'm not sure that I know what to say now but I owe you an explanation."

She glances at him curiously, unsure of what exactly he's referring to. An explanation for what?For what he said to her in the hospital? _I know, Felicity. We don't have to talk about this now but we will talk about it. _Well of course he knew. She admittedly wasn't good at keeping her emotions in check where Oliver was concerned so she hadn't been surprised when he'd told her that he knew. Surprised that he'd actually addressed it, yes, but surprised that he knew, nope.

"Come on in," she says, leading the way to her kitchen.

She needs a glass of wine if they're going to have this conversation. For close to two weeks she hasn't seen him or even heard from him. He hadn't called or texted. He hadn't even sent a damn email. But she is trying not to get angry at his abrupt silent treatment. She knows that he withdraws when he is uncomfortable. She knows that he has adapted a "just ignore it and it'll go away" attitude toward anything that takes him out of his comfort zone. He is Oliver Queen, after all. If he doesn't want to talk about something, if he doesn't want to address it, he doesn't.

She finds an unopened bottle of her favorite cabernet and pours herself a glass before handing the bottle to Oliver. He holds it under his nose for a second before setting it back on the counter. Apparently he doesn't need alcohol to calm his nerves.

"That last day that I saw you at the hospital we should've had this conversation. I didn't mean to push you away. That isn't …"

He clears his throat nervously and glances away from her.

Felicity shakes her head, "It's okay, Oliver. We really don't have to talk about this. We can just pretend that nothing happened and go back to the way things were. And it's not like anything actually happened anyway. I'm sure that's what you'd prefer anyway so it's fine. I get it, really, you aren't going to hurt my feelings if –"

He sighs loudly, "Felicity, stop."

She wants to smack her head against the wall in the hopes that that will somehow jar her brain into working correctly again. Instead she worries her lip between her teeth and waits for him to say something. When he moves around the edge of the counter and comes to a stop directly in front of her, her entire body freezes in response. He lifts one hand to the side of her face and she is startled when she realizes that he is shaking slightly. That doesn't seem right to her at all. She is the nervous one, the one who babbles and puts her foot in her mouth because he makes her brain turn to mush. His hands shouldn't be shaking. He has the steadiest hands of anyone she's ever met.

"I didn't come here to hurt your feelings, Felicity. I came here because I was going crazy not seeing you. I hate being away from you."

She knows that she is blushing because that is her body's normal response when he says anything remotely sweet or suggestive. She wants to point out that he was away from her for five months after the Undertaking but she doesn't. She doesn't say anything actually because he hasn't said anything that warrants a response from her.

"Do you know how terrified I was when I realized that Slade had gone after you? When Digg and I couldn't get you on the comms, when we knew that Thea and Laurel had only been a distraction, I – I've never been that scared, Felicity. I thought that I was going to lose you," he tells her, his voice taking on that low, rumbling cadence that she secretly loves, "The prospect of losing you, really losing you, forced me to own up to the fact that that isn't an option. Losing you is not an option."

She blinks up at him, unsure of how exactly she's supposed to interpret what he's telling her. She's been in danger before, that isn't exactly new. Take the Count for instance. He'd tried to kill her with Vertigo and Oliver had saved her. And there had been the creepy guy who was turning women into dolls. She'd acted as bait and had nearly gotten kidnapped. It wasn't as if she'd never been in harm's way before. So she couldn't figure out what made this time any different.

"It's different because I care about you, Felicity."

She swears under her breath. She hadn't meant to say that part out loud and she can only hope that she hadn't said it all out loud. She swallows, hearing his words for the first time, and stares at him. She asks the question that immediately comes to mind when she processes his response.

"That conversation that we had after… after Russia, when you said that you couldn't be with someone that you could really care about, why did you say that? Why did you say it like that?"

Oliver sighs, his thumb stroking across her cheek bone, and closes his eyes.

"Because I thought it was true. Because I didn't want to hurt you anymore than I already had. When I opened the door in the hotel and found you standing there, when you saw Isabel leaving, Felicity that look on your face broke something inside of me. I'd hurt you. I'd really hurt you and I hated myself for it the minute I realized what I'd done. I hadn't admitted to myself before that moment how much I truly cared about you but the pain in your eyes when you looked at me… I'd never wanted to shower more in my life."

She laughs at that, wrinkling her nose at him.

"If you smelled like her, I tried really hard not to notice," she tells him, "But Oliver I wasn't hurt I was just … disappointed. Like I told you, I think that you deserve better than her. Isabel is on your father's list for a reason and we may not know what that reason is just yet, but you shouldn't have let her get that close to you. And okay, maybe I was a little jealous that you turned to her when I –"

She is certain that her face is suddenly ten shades of red but she can't take the words back. Oliver still has his eyes closed but there is a small smile pulling at his lips.

"It's hard for me to look at anything that way because I don't feel like I deserve anything. I don't feel like I even deserve to be here. I shouldn't have survived on that island. I shouldn't have survived when the boat went down. Felicity, I don't deserve to be happy."

She lifts her hand to his face, mirroring his gesture, and encourages him to open his eyes. A thrill runs through her as his blue eyes pierce into hers.

"Everyone deserves to be happy, Oliver. No matter what you've done in the past, no matter what kind of person you think that you are, you deserve happiness just the same as everyone else," she tells him, her voice firm.

She hates hearing him talk about himself as if he's unworthy of love and happiness. She hates that he actually believes those things and she hates the people who made him feel that way. He survived when the Queen's Gambit capsized because his father sacrificed himself. He survived on the island because his will to live was strong. He is a better man that he gives himself credit for. She wishes there was some way that she could make him see that.

The next words that come from his mouth shock her.

"You make me happy. You make me feel like I deserve to be happy."

Tears swim in her eyes, obscuring her view of him. When they fall down her cheeks, he wipes them away. She opens her mouth to say something but the words don't come to her. Instead, she shakes her head.

"Oliver, I…"

But she doesn't know how to finish the sentence. She wants to tell him that he makes her happy, too, because he does. She wants to throw her arms around him and find out what it's like to kiss him. She would be lying to herself if she tried to deny dreaming of this moment or a moment very similar to this. But she is still so uncertain. She can't be sure that, even after what he's just admitted, he isn't going to push her away. If he pushes her away now, he'll break her.

She drops her hand from his face as his other hand comes up to hers. The warmth from his palms seeps into her skin. He's trembling again, she can feel it. And she knows that she's shaking just as hard. They are on the precipice of something wonderful but there is a nagging fear that is pulling her away from him.

"Oliver, I – I need you to promise me something."

He leans forward, his forehead touching hers, his breath warm on her face. Her eyes close involuntarily.

"Anything, Felicity."

She has to swallow hard to keep focused.

"Promise me that this isn't as far as this goes. I – I can't keep waiting for you to finally decide that you're willing to a take a chance on me. I care about you, Oliver, more than I probably should and after this I… if you push me away, that's it. I won't be able to stay."

He doesn't respond right away and his hesitation makes more tears slide down her cheeks. She can't take the pain that comes with loving him if he doesn't love her in return. She has tried being strong. She has tried to ignore the longing that fills her every time he gets too close but she is tired of holding back. Too much has changed.

"Felicity, look at me."

She takes a breath to steady herself before opening her eyes. His are darker than she has ever seen him. He is staring at her so intently that a shiver races down her spine. The emotions flaring in his eyes have never been directed at her before and she is overwhelmed.

"I promise you, I'm not running. This is me telling you that I want you, that I want to be with you. I'm not going anywhere."


	6. Diggle pt 2

**Title:** Into the Darkness

**Author:** Some1FoundMe

**Summary: **Thea and Laurel have been taken but they are only a distraction. Slade has made good on his promise to make Oliver's world fall apart. Olicity. Spoilers thru 2x09.

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of "Arrow".

**A/N:** I just want to thank everyone who took the time to read / review / favorite this story. This is the last chapter and honestly, its a short one, but I thought everyone could use a little more John Diggle in their lives :) Enjoy!

**Diggle**

It doesn't change overnight. He notices the little things, the growing number of looks that they share, the way that Oliver's hand always seems to find its way to the center of her back as they walk together. He notices the way that they often stand too close together, closer than necessary, speaking in hushed voices. He is certain that, on more than one occasion, he has walked in on a personal conversation. But they don't bring it up to him. They never discuss it. He knows that something has changed, though. There has been a serious shift in the dynamic of their little family and he has to admit, he is glad that the two of them are finally figuring it out.

It isn't until he walks into the foundry late one evening that he finally gets confirmation of their new found relationship.

Felicity is using her 'loud voice' and they are practically toe to toe. Oliver's shoulders are tense, his arms crossed over his chest. Her back is to the stairs but he is almost certain that Felicity's posture mirrors his. She says something that he doesn't quite catch as she jabs her finger into Oliver's chest. He pauses his descent down the stairs, debating for a moment whether he should head back up to the club and give them some time to work out whatever it is they're arguing about. Instead, he takes a seat and waits.

"You can't keep me locked up in here, Oliver! I'm going so stop trying to tell me what I can and cannot do! Whether you like it or not, you are not my boss here! We're partners, remember?"

Oliver sighs, "Felicity, it's too dangerous. Digg and I can manage this one without you. I need you here more."

Even though he can't see her, John knows that Felicity is rolling her eyes at that.

"Don't try to pull that crap with me, Oliver Queen. You don't want me to go because you're worried that you'll spend the whole night being my bodyguard rather than focusing on the mission which is ridiculous because I am perfectly capable of –"

He cuts her off abruptly, taking her face in his hands and silencing her with his mouth on hers. For a moment John considers clearing his throat and seeing what kind of reaction that would draw out of the two of them. Instead, he lowers his eyes to the staircase where he sits and focuses on his shoes.

Felicity sighs a minute later.

"You know that that isn't always going to work," she tells him, "You can't just kiss me to end an argument."

"Did it work this time?" Oliver asks.

She scoffs, "Not even close! Oliver, I can take care of myself. You and Digg have been training me for close to four months. I've got the basics down. I can even shoot a gun without dropping it! If you and John can get me in, I can hack the mainframe and upload the Trojan just like we discussed. Let me do this. This one is important to you, to all of us, and I want to make sure that it's done right. Not that I don't trust you and Digg to do it right but well, I know how you are with computers. I mean, you'd rather put an arrow in one that hit a few keys. It'll take ten minutes tops. If you guys can get me in and get me out, I'll be fine. It'll be fine."

It's Oliver's turn to sigh.

"You drive me crazy sometimes," he tells her.

Felicity snorts, "Yeah, well, you love me anyway."

Silence falls over them and he waits for Felicity's brain to catch up with her mouth. Oliver is quiet as he stares at her. She gasps and John knows that her face is flushed.

"I meant – I didn't – oh God, why can't I stop doing that?" she groans.

Oliver laughs, the sound surprising John as much as it surprises Felicity. He sees her head snap up and can only imagine the expression on her face.

"I know what you meant," Oliver says, stepping even closer to her, "But you're right. I do love you anyway."

The silence that follows Oliver's admission tells him that that particular word has yet to be exchanged between these two. It has been close to four months since Slade nearly took Oliver from them, four months that they've had to work out whatever it was that was keeping them apart, so he isn't surprised to find that his friend has fallen in love with their beautiful, blonde IT expert. Hell, if he was really honest with himself, Oliver would admit that he's been in love with her for more than a year but John knows that confession may not be one that his friend will ever be able to make.

He stands as quietly as he can and moves back up the stairs, hoping to go unnoticed.

He is happy for them. Happy that they have both finally figured out that they are better together than they are apart.


End file.
